Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a program in therapeutic radiologic technology, evidenced by a certificate or an associate's or higher degree accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology or other accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the subsequent completion of a 12-month ED accrediting body-approved program in therapeutic radiologic technology.
Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75. They must have successfully completed an educational program meeting or exceeding the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the ED, and be radiation therapists certified by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (T).
Certification: All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (ARRT (T)).
- All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (ARRT (T)).
- Exception.
- Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for TRT certification may be given a temporary appointment under 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a)(1)(B) for up to one year at the entry level only as a graduate TRT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (c)(2)(B).
- Graduate TRTs may only be appointed at the entry grade level and may not be promoted/converted until certification is obtained.
- Temporary graduate TRT appointments may not be extended beyond one year or converted to a new temporary appointment.
- Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, TRTs must actively pursue meeting the requirements for certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become certified within one year from the date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0648 TRT series and may result in termination of employment.
- Loss of Certification. Once certified, a TRT who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may result in termination of employment.
Grandfathering Provisions. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
- Employees in an occupation not requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted or demoted within the occupation.
- Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
- Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
- Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
- Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
NOTE: Each uncertified TRT permanently employed on June 21, 1986, and whose competence in the safe administration of ionizing radiation was affirmed, in writing, by a VA licensed physician not later than January 1, 1987, is considered fully qualified. These employees may be promoted, up to and including the journey level, demoted or reassigned within the GS-0648 occupational series. Any employee initially retained in this manner who leaves this job series loses protected status and must meet the full requirements in effect at the time of reentry.
Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.
English Langue Proficiency. Proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Grade Determination. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining eligibility:
- Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) related to the position.
- GS-9 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Skill in independently setting up the patient in preparation for basic and complex radiation treatments on a linear accelerator, as prescribed by the radiation oncologist.
- Skill in independently performing machine warm-up procedures to interpret output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance.
- Skill to independently perform patient chart reviews and effectively document records utilizing an electronic medical records system and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems.
- Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher- level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity, range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Employees at this level serve as advanced staff TRTs independently carrying out procedures which have varying assignments. This includes basic and advanced treatment modalities and procedures, which exceed the full performance level. Employee will be assigned the responsibility of emergency on-call treatments, if applicable, and perform simple Monitor Unit calculations. Other assignments include but, are not limited to performing CT simulations, troubleshooting for basic problems and machine issues, maintaining treatment rooms and equipment in a clean, neat and safe condition and assisting patients to and from the treatment room. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform at this level.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the below:
- Skill in independently performing machine warm up procedures and interpreting output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance.
- Ability to independently perform patient chart reviews using an electronic medical record and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems.
- Ability to independently perform all basic and complex CT simulations, including independently operating the CT equipment, following directives, designing custom immobilization for reproducible set-ups, obtaining optimal imaging, completing accurate data transfer for treatment planning and providing accurate and precise patient documentation.
- Ability to utilize a Linac's On Board Imaging system to interpret complex images.